When most
people think of garlic, they picture the white, misshapen
bulbs that spend their entire life below ground before
being plucked for use in almost every cuisine. But during
the spring the hardneck garlic plant offers another
rare and fleeting find for those who pay attention:
the garlic scape. »more

continued.
This is the sprout of the garlic plant, a thin, green stalk
that curls above the ground and is more tender and sweeter
than the cloves that lie below. But there’s a reason
the scape is not widely known, and that is because it must
be picked within the first two weeks that it breaks the surface
of the soil. If you wait too long and the stalk straightens
out, the scapes become tough and unappetizing. These early
spring gems have long been a part of Korean and Eastern European
cooking. American farmers, however, have long cut these stalks
off and discarded them, but some are just now starting to
offer them up for sale in farmer’s markets.

Chef Dante Boccuzzi of Aureole in New York City
gets his scapes from the Union Square Farmer’s Market.

“The season goes from now through June,” Chef
Boccuzzi says. “I had them last year, and I just thought
they were so interesting. I love the flavor of garlic, but
it has a greener taste and is more fragrant. It has a neat
look and was something different to bring to diners.”

Scapes will store well, for a couple of weeks, but you can
extend their life even further by pickling them for use in
salads and pastas. Naturally they are best when fresh and
are very versatile, able to replace garlic, scallions, ramps
or onions in most recipes. Try the recipes by Chef Boccuzzi
featured here, developed specifically to showcase these spring
treats.